Publishers of Ethnic Newspapers Size Up John McCain and Sarah Palin

What do they think about presidential candidate Sen. John McCain -- or his speech at the Republican National Convention last Thursday, Sep. 4, 2008?  Or about Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who McCain publicly announced as his vice-presidential running mate on Aug. 30? 

To get an idea, NEWz spoke to these heads of newspapers that serve African Americans, Latinos, Koreans and Portuguese-language readers:

Melvin Miller, publisher, Bay State Banner

Victor Cuenca, publisher, Providence en Espanol

Myong Sool Chang, president, Boston Korea

Ric Oliveira, publisher, O Jornal, O Jornal Brasileiro and El Latino Expreso

Martin Desmarais, editor, IndUS Business Journal

Norma Rodriguez, publisher, La Voz Hispana.

EthnicNEWz.org spoke to these media leaders individually by phone yesterday, Friday, Sept. 5.  Following are their edited and condensed comments. 

The Banner has officially endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. The other papers have taken no official position.

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Melvin Miller, Banner:  The African American community in the Greater Boston area -- but those (outside of Greater Boston) also.  

Certainly some Cape Verdeans, too, as well as English-speaking Latinos and even some Chinese.  

Victor Cuenca, Providence:  95% are the Latino community in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  Korean Americans in New England, who are first-generation Americans, immigrants, who speak both Korean and English.  They're mostly at least 30 years old. 

Ric Oliveira, O Jornal:  For O Jornal, predominantely Portuguese Americans, which includes mainland Portuguese, but predominantly Azoreans and Azorean Americans.

They're immigrants with an average age of 56, and the second- and third-generation readers have an average age of 32.   

Martin Desmarais, IndUS:  Predominantly business owners and executives who are Indian American, followed by Pakistanis, and then those from other South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Norma Rodriguez, Voz (in consultion with Spanish-speaking Voz editor Abelardo King for this interview):  Mostly in the state of Connecticut.  They're Latinos who are Puerto Rican, Dominican, Colombian, Peruvian and others.
 

Melvin Miller, Banner:  I think the primary concern is jobs.  Everybody is distressed by the collapse of the financial community, which has threatened homeownership. 

People are really concerned about the rising costs of health care and the ability to secure good health treatment.  We saw in this state (Massachusetts) that the plan to provide higher-education loans has collapsed completely.

Victor Cuenca, Providence: The first issue for Latinos -- not just in my area but all over the country, too -- is everything related to immigration.  That's important for us.

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  They are very concerned about the economy first, and then immigration policies.  The mortgage problem (resulting in foreclosures) has affected the Korean community.  Many lost their homes.

Businesses in the Korean community have closed down -- that has hurt a lot of people.  I think more than 10 percent of Korean immigrants are self-employed.  They own dry-cleaning businesses and convenience stores. 

 

They've been greatly affected by the economy, so that's why the main concern is the economy.   

Norma Rodriguez, Voz:  The economic situation of the country.  Immigration.  Health insurance. 

Education -- a lot of immigrants here illegally are not able to go to universities here even though they've been in public schools here for a long time.  A lot of them end up having to go back to their home countries (to attend college).

   

Melvin Miller, Banner:  We haven't heard from the Republicans about any plans that would be helpful to the black community.  Those who are sophisticated enough to understand, they realize that tax cuts for the well-to-do means that less money will be available to provide for programs for folks who are hardly getting by today -- that's a major concern.

At this time, being middle class is being on the brink of disaster -- (it's no longer) an avenue to providing for a pretty comfortable lifestyle.

Victor Cuenca, Providence:  This race is full of hypocrisy because both campaigns are trying to avoid everything related to immigration.  Actually, they are denying (refusing) to talk straight about immigration. 

(This applies to) Mr. McCain when, in the past, he proposed the McCain-Kennedy bill (for immigration reform), which was very important for Latinos.

The past month -- and not just Mr. McCain, but Mr. Obama too -- for some reason, they are not mentioning immigration for campaign purposes.  That's very disappointing. 

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  Actually we know already about who is John McCain, Barack Obama, and (Democratic vice-presidential candidate) Joe Biden.

But this Sarah Palin is very new for us.  

Ric Oliveira, O Jornal:  The principal question that keeps coming back to me is: What is the word of the United States worth?  That's something we really need to address as Americans.

We seem to back out of treaties, agreements with people and countries, our leaders say one thing but it's actually a different scenario  -- weapons of mass destruction tied to Al Qaida, and the justification for the war in Iraq.  There's a lack of trustworthiness on the part of our politicians. 

Martin Desmarais, IndUS:  I think what the Indian or South Asian community would like to see is a little more attention to their community.  The community is pretty unified, and they would like to see more attention to the fact that they could carry more weight -- more significant numbers behind the vote and they could sway the vote.

     

Melvin Miller, Banner:  I was inspired by Barack Obama.  Of course, the Banner endorsed him some time ago because of the quality of his intellect and ideas, for changing the system in America that has has sort-of ignored the (poor) and, even now, the middle class. 

I don't hear anything at all from the Republicans directed toward how they're going to take care of the mortgage crisis, how they're going to provide for health care for everyone, education.  It seems that the

Republicans have been described as the party that  preserves the privilege of the very well-to-do.

Victor Cuenca, Providence:  Llike any other convention, the speeches are just part of the show because the candidates can say and promise many things -- but that doesn't mean that they're part of their platform. 

At these two conventions, they're trying to please everybody.  Even if they sound good, I don't trust that they are just telling the truth. 

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  Actually I'm kind of surprised that Barack Obama is that much interested in John McCain.  I didn't hear John McCain's speech last night. 

Ric Oliveira, O Jornal:  I thought John McCain's was a very touching speech about his life and what he

has gone through.  His energy policy creates a lot more questions than answers.  But we got a sense of who the man is last night in a way that either you do or don't accept him.

But he didn't answer a lot of fundamental questions, such as how he's going to fix the economy, how is he going to lower the price of gas, how will people be able to put their kids through schools and just pay the bills confronting so many average people. 

He left Obama's speech feeling warm and hopeful.  While Obama had more specifics than he did previously, there's still an unknown (unanswered) question about him.  I don't think anyone had 100% certainty that he's going to follow through on everything he says.  But he left you feeling warm, not angry.

I've seen Biden many times, and this was more of the same of Biden.  He is an attack dog.   

I thought the warmest part of Palin's speech was watching her daughter comb the hair of the infant (her baby brother, who was on her lap).  That was the only time, I think in the whole speech, that any warmth was conveyed.  She came across as very tough, a very good speaker and prepared, and was almost insulting in the way she demonized Obama. 

Martin Desmarais, IndUS:  We were on deadline this past week.   I've missed a lot these past days, so I don't have much input for this question.

We are planning on doing some political surveys of our readers.  We'll put the results online. 

Norma Rodriguez, Voz:  Obama's was a lot better than McCain's.  McCain is just an extension of the Bush Administration.  A lot of Hispanics were supportive of Hilary Clinton -- 66% of the folks in Puerto Rico voted for her.  They were able to also show a united consolidated front of the Hispanic vote towards Obama.

Biden's discourse shows he has a lot more experience towards being a vice president compared to Sarah Palin's speech. 

Melvin Miller, Banner:  I think the media were unprepared for her selection as vice president, and that's understood.  We will see now, going forward, whether they begin to do their homework. 

I heard in her speech a question about her commitment to America, sort of taking a backhand slap at Michelle Obama -- when it would appear that Sarah Palin and her husband were members of a secessionist group that wanted to spin Alaska off of the United States.  I don't know how they square that.

I find that the media has an enormous responsibility because I've heard so much disinformation in the Republican speeches, it's an abomination.  If the media doesn't rise and set the record straight so that the public isn't confused about these things, I think it will have really failed its responsibilitites. 

Victor Cuenca, Providence:  Even if we can recognize that Obama was very accepting of (Palin's right to privacy concerning her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, which) the mainstream media (publicized), we can't deny that the Republican vice president is having an impact.  Her nomination shocked everybody. 

The media is putting her image on top, she's getting much media attention, even more than Obama.

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  Actually it is kind of (expected) that you have to investigate the candidate's story. I don't think it's been unbiased or unfair.  

Ric Oliveira, O Jornal:  It's natural that we would want to know a bit more about her.  We're not very well connected to Alaska.  It's very fair and important to learn about her.  I'm not interested in the fact that her daughter is 17 and pregnant. 

Let's face it.  If John McCain becomes president, we may see a situation in which the vice president comes into power as the president.  So it's very important to know what her real character beliefs are. 

Martin Desmarais, IndUS:  I'm not that impressed.  I feel like I'm reading a supermarket tabloid occasionally.  I'm not that concerned about her family's situation.  I tend to agree with Obama when he says he doesn't need to deal with it.  Family life should be private.

That's the one thing that bothers me, the treatment of the situation with her daughter.  The media should leave that one alone.  I don't think it's pertinent.   That's my personal opinion -- I don't know how my readers would feel. 

Norma Rodriguez, Voz:  They gave her a lot of profile, but then they lowered it by concentrating on her private life.  People began to feel sorry she was getting bashed. 

  

Melvin Miller, Banner:  Obama's going to get the overwhelming support of my readers, no question about it.  
 

Victor Cuenca, Providence:  This is an interesting race.  Most Latinos, when they come to this country, they become citizens who are then able to vote.

Even though we know that majority of Latinos are becoming Democrats -- almost automatically -- we know that McCain still holds hope for immigration reform.

I think a lot of people will vote for Obama.  But it all depends on if the Republicans pay attention to the Latino community which, in just five to 10 years, is going to be very huge potentially in terms of votes.

Even if Republicans realize that they don't (currently) have an impact on the Latino community, I see them more interested than Democrats because a lot of Democrats feel like they're going to get the Latino vote anyway because Latinos don't vote for Republicans. 

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  Right now, the Korean community is leaning towards Barack Obama.  (Under the Bush Administration,) the Iraq war (was started) and the economy has gone down. Foreign policy, too (has suffered). 

Ric Oliveira, O Jornal:  This is an interesting question.  The Obama campaign has done very little in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island to reach out to these ethnic voters.  I hope they don't take these communities for granted. 

The community is angry right now.  They're angry about the immigration debate, the economy, unemployment.  I see a lot more people willing to take a chance on Obama even if they know him perhaps less than John McCain. 

Martin Desmarais, IndUS:  The IndUS business readers and executives tend to lean towards Republican candidates.

INDIA New England readers probably tend towards Democrats.   

Norma Rodriguez, Voz:  The majority of our readers will vote for Obama.   

Melvin Miller, Banner:  For somebody like me who has worked for trivial improvements (for the black

community), to find that at least one person (Barack Obama) has reached the point that he's won the Democratic presidential nomination, that's just an enormous breakthrough.

But you know what?  Blacks are not voting for Obama just because he's black.  When this election started, Hilary Clinton had the overwhelming support of the black community.  As (her campaign) went along, people began to hear Obama, and they shitfted -- just as a lot of white people did.   

That's important to remember because one of the things that I hear from the media is that blacks are supporting Obama just because he's black.  That's not true. 

Victor Cuenca, Providence:  Both campaigns need to study Latino behavior a little more, in terms of voting.  A lot of times, they put all of us Latinos in the same boat.  We come from 21 different countries, with different interests, even if immigration could be a common interest for us. 

There's a huge number of people in the middle class.  The stereotype of the Latino as being the poor hard worker has been changing.  A lot of times, Latinos in the middle class are not approached by either of the two political parties.

Latinos will play a very important role in this election and those in four and eight years.  So both parties need to know more about us -- and not just as one whole group.  Florida is a Republican Latino state. 

A lot of times, wrong assumptions are made that Latinos will (automatically) vote for Democrats -- which affects our common interests.

Myong Sool Chang, B. Korea:  I think people may be confused (about the candidates' positions on taxes). They think that they'll have more taxes in the future, and that the economy will go down, with Obama. 

(In reality,) Obama would tax (more heavily) the wealthy people, (meaning) people who make at least $300,000 a year -- but I think people are confused, they don't understand that.

Ric Oliveira, O Jornal:  The immigration issue still remains an underlying issue in all of these communities because it would open the floodgates of the economy a little bit more in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The lack of ethnic diversity in the Republican Convention didn't help as far as making people feel that the politicians were addressing them.  That doesn't necessarily mean they'd be well represented in an

Obama Administration, but at least that image of seeing people like yourself is there.

Martin Desmarais, IndUS:  There does seem to be many prominent Indian Americans that are involved with McCain's campaign -- because we have such highly-influential successful people in the community.  It makes sense that those individuals with have some influence with Republicans at some point.  Some of the biggest companies in the United States are run by Indian Americans. 

Norma Rodriguez, Voz:  Basically the Hispanic community, in the state and nation, is growing.  There's a lot more commitment to staying here in the US and being part of the entire democracy.

Yes, a lot read (only or mainly) Spanish, but they're getting a lot more involved in the mainstream

source:  EthnicNEWz.org